Paranoid Confusion
by Little Fate
Summary: After spending time with Tyson and the others, it becomes obvious Brooklyn and Tyson are keeping something to themselves. Something which has peaked Kai's curiousity, as well as making him somewhat paranoid.  OneShot  Kai/Brooklyn


**Author's Note:** So this is an attempt at well, a short story. I'm not sure how this is going to read simply because I like long, deep drama-filled epics and suck at shorter stories. So, yeah, this is a request fic. Thought I'd do it before I get bogged down in other stuff and I'm rather out of shape in terms of writing so it'll hopefully make me feel more confident again and get back into the groove of it all. This is a Kai/Brooklyn fiction, give me a PM if they seem OOC or if anything could be better - or if you see a typo! Kai's a little darker, well less forgiving, than I usually write him but I think it still stays true to his personality.

**Warnings: **If you are offended by male/male relationships please hit back. Also note, there is one use of the f-bomb. Beware of the f-bomb.

Nothing 'citric fruit' happens anyway.

^-^ Hope everyone had a grand holiday and that Santa was good to you, haha.

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><p>Chapter One<p>

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><p>Curiosity: a strange emotion to hide and Kai believed he managed it quite well considering. Considering Tyson and Brooklyn had been somehow more withdrawn from the rest of the old team, going off to talk, muttering and whispering close to each other. Too close was what Kai had first thought. Rei and Max didn't seem to pick up on it either. Or maybe they had? Was this another social interaction which Kai simply hadn't realized till now? Whatever it was, it had caused Kai's mind to fill with paranoia as on a few occasions Tyson and Brooklyn had been watching him and doing their quiet discussions. Or he'd walk into a room and their urgent talks would immediately turn silent.<p>

Tyson was not quiet unless required which meant the topic was not ordinary. If they were talking about him, Kai presumed it would be a planning of a prank. Tyson teased him to his face, much like he did back so it could not be too negative a thing. Brooklyn always seemed to disappear after these talks and utter some words beneath his breath as he took long strides passed - red in the face.

Curious indeed.

Kai knew Tyson had the guts to set a prank on him but such a thing wasn't Tyson. He'd more likely beybattle him to solve any grievance. Brooklyn on the other hand . . . Zeus might have given him the idea at the tournament, but now? He appeared to settle in well, especially with Tyson and Max as his new moral compasses. Such speculation didn't help much and rarely produced results and yet Kai still couldn't stop thinking about this mystery. The only thing he could do was wait. And watch. Hope one of them slipped up, spoke too loudly or would confront him.

So he stood, arms folded and expression blank, watching everyone in the dojo's garden. Rei and Kenny were talking about Drigger and how he could improve. Max, Hilary and Daichi spoke loudly, hyper and angry as they debated on whether homework should be done first or if it was the best time to relax. The two boys were winning in volume at least.

Now, Kai's eyes focused on Tyson. He was standing hovering around Brooklyn, grinning and speaking words Kai couldn't quite hear. Tyson didn't give off a hint to what topic of conversation they were having. Brooklyn on the other hand was picking at the cuff on his clothes, occasionally responding with one or two worded answers. Narrowing his eyes, Kai understood Brooklyn was uncomfortable. But why stay in the situation? Walk away, then. But he didn't. Instead, Brooklyn became obviously more embarrassed and stressed - starting to lower his gaze and kick at stones nearby. What could embarrass Brooklyn? He had taken his loss badly but even after beyblading Max and Rei, he'd just smiled and enjoyed the experience. Nothing made Brooklyn out to be a sore loser so it could not be Tyson's usual boasting which affected him so.

Watching them converse was interesting, especially when Tyson gave Brooklyn a pat on the back and started walking away: towards Kai. Quickly, Kai tried to analyse the situation so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage. Tyson seemed upbeat. But looking back at Brooklyn his face had turned sour and-

"Tyson, you said you wouldn't!" The words were harsh and not the voice of a humiliated guy. He was angry. Definitely. Tyson gave a wave, almost as if he was trying to give Brooklyn's new found anger a physical brush-off. With the sudden outburst even the arguing trio had stopped to listen in, trying to piece together what was going on. Still, Tyson had halted in his tracks, no longer heading towards Kai - which made him more cautious than anything.

Kai was certain he was a main component in whatever scheme they had plotted. Had Tyson planned to do something now, whilst Brooklyn wished to wait? He moved his eyes briefly between the two of them. What was going on? Tyson called Brooklyn's name, as if it would calm him. For a moment it seemed to knock Brooklyn out of his frown but again he yelled back, anger rising. Rei and Kenny had started speaking, loud enough for Kai to hear, about how Tyson should stop tormenting Brooklyn.

Tyson didn't torment anyone. He glared at his old team mates before concluding they were exaggerating again. "I refuse! I won't allow you to . . . " said Brooklyn, deflating almost immediately once he caught Kai's eye, only to stalk off in the opposite direction. Head down, shoulders hunched, Kai assumed the blader felt uncomfortable about being the centre of attention. But why? Nothing of value had really been said.

With Brooklyn off in a mood, Tyson sighed heavily to himself. Meanwhile Kai watched closely, the Champion was disappointed. "Kai," Tyson said as he grinned, "do me a favour and get Brooklyn back, will yah?" Kai refused to move from where he was and merely ignored the request. He wanted to find out what was going on between the two of them. "Come on," Tyson scratched the back of his head, "please? He'll be really annoyed." Tyson knew and was without tact so perhaps it would be easier to wait for him to slip up than Brooklyn.

"Hn." Kai glanced over to the others, they didn't appear to care - at least not any more. "I assume you know where he went. You two seem rather close." He had no intention of picking up Tyson's messes. If he had annoyed Brooklyn to the point where he would leave the dojo and wander around then it was Tyson's job to go find him. Still, for Tyson not to go after a wounded party himself put Kai on the defensive. Something was off.

"If you want me to hang out with you more, just say so man." Tyson's grin didn't even waver under Kai's glare. Granger knew how to provoke him and with that Kai scoffed, pushed himself away from the support wall and began to walk off himself. "I'm kidding! Come on, that was a joke!" Tyson's apology was cut short as he heard Hilary suddenly begin yelling, saying briefly how such jokes shouldn't be told to Kai and that Tyson was an idiot.

So, Kai decided to relax in the only place he really could - when he wasn't at Tyson's - the cats liked this place too.

"He is an idiot," he spoke softly hoping not to scare the cat and her litter. She was fatter than what she had been and it gave Kai some solace the animal was not starving to keep her kittens alive. They drank the milk, mewling only occasionally as Kai watched them. His thoughts on the other hand drifted to when Brooklyn had first appeared at the dojo. The first day went by normally afterwards Tyson was whisked away.

Brooklyn had never said much to him whilst he stayed at the dojo. Even when Kai had asked a question he froze and muttered a few words. But to say such behaviour was unusual wouldn't be correct. He acted the same with Tyson, at least, from what Kai had witnessed just a few hours ago. He was a part of something, Kai knew that - he just didn't understand what Tyson and Brooklyn's roles were. This couldn't be a prank. It had to be something else. Kai's mood darkened considerably as he watched the cats slink away through holes in a fence.

He didn't understand what was going on and he didn't like it.

By the time Kai set off, the sky had darkened and the wind had turned cold. He could hear movement behind him, footsteps which were light - but not light enough. If he were being followed then it was not someone who did such a thing frequently. Of course, such an image in Kai's head shattered when he heard Brooklyn's voice. "Um . . . Did Tyson say anything?" Kai stopped and observed the blader who had been tailing him for a few streets already. Again he had his head down, shoulders were no longer hunched but still he picked at his clothes nervously and his voice wavered under each word.

"Such as?" Kai had seen enough and decided to continue onto Tyson's home.

"Well," Brooklyn stammered over his words, only to make up the lack of sense with more pausing and awkward noises. Kai glanced over his shoulder to inspect what Brooklyn might have been thinking. Why was . . . Wait. Kai figured it out then, the blushing, the fidgeting and the lack of eye contact. He jerked his head back to the path ahead and could only manage to say one word which brought some silence, some time. To think, to analyse.

"Whatever." Kai kept a conscious note of his walking speed, he didn't want to speed up at the thought, and he didn't want to slow down either. He would not let Brooklyn become aware of his revelation. This was a pace Brooklyn could easily fall behind if he decided to stop even for a second. He had to be wrong, just another theory that should be scrapped. Brooklyn couldn't like him. But it made sense, it fit, it . . . was true?

In his lifetime he had heard only a rare handful of confessions, generally fans who thought too much of themselves. These people would appear, yell at the top of their lungs, their feelings - it made Kai feel irritable - and he would ignore them. Why did people selfishly push feelings on him? On anyone? Brooklyn was no different.

"You don't want to hear it?" Unsteady was his voice now, curious to what Brooklyn would do, Kai decided to goad him. If these feelings were genuine enough to cause embarrassment and to make Brooklyn actually avoid him, then what would they make him do when a challenge came along? The clouds above rumbled and groaned and both of them couldn't help but quicken their pace.

"If you speak with so little conviction - it's not worth hearing." Brooklyn didn't say a word after that. Kai was far from impressed because now he had a hypothesis and no real evidence. Why couldn't Brooklyn man-up and just tell him what was on his mind? It would save both of them a lot of trouble. But the journey back was quiet as was the welcome, the dojo filled with only the light patter of rain against the roof.

Kai assumed they had an early night after creating so many ruckuses throughout the day. "I don't know what to do." Another mutter from Brooklyn as the two of them quietly removed their shoes and slipped into the living area, where most of the others lay sleeping on their futons. Kai knew he wasn't talking about how to react to a sleeping household. Tyson and Daichi snored loud enough to cover up the small noises the two creeping guests made. Two of the beds lay empty and untouched and Kai thanked his luck they were nowhere near one another.

When Kai glanced back, Brooklyn's head had disappeared into his jumper as he took it off. He hadn't expected Brooklyn to be so skinny. Of course, it made sense for him to be. Apparently never needing to do any training because he had defeated everyone he had come across without putting in much effort. How boring. And aggravating. For Brooklyn to have appeared and not even work at a sport Kai cherished was an insult.

"Letting someone decide things for you is worthless." Kai focused on removing his socks and ran a hand through his hair which had turned somewhat damp with the small shower he had just been caught in.

"Is it fun to belittle my feelings?" So he did know, that Kai knew. Brooklyn's anger was back and Kai was curious as to what had riled him. Placid and passive he had just been and now? Now he sounded like he wanted to fight. But Kai wasn't going to let such changes alter his opinion on the matter. How could Brooklyn think about him? So Kai walked slowly passed him, wondering what would push this guy into a corner.

"I haven't heard you say anything about feelings." It was true, and if Brooklyn denied it, Kai wouldn't so much as glance in the others direction.

"I didn't know you were so cruel."

"I didn't know you were such a coward." And with that Kai kneeled on the futon closest to the door. Relief at being heard said futon was his wasn't enough to clear the rising doubt in his mind. What was he doing? Daring to glance over to where Brooklyn planned to sleep, he noted the guy had already turned his back away and stayed silent. Maybe that had been too harsh even for Brooklyn.

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><p>It was strange for Brooklyn to confess only to run off. Coward wasn't even able to use his voice very well. Even Kenny could speak at times without anyone thinking about trying to talk over him. Kai was certainly used to people who spoke what they felt, especially Max and Tyson. No one ever doubted their thoughts, they were in a sense transparent. Brooklyn was so doubled over in anxiety it began to rub off on Kai. He didn't know how to deal with this.<p>

Kai was no coward, he would settle this for once and for all. Brooklyn would refute his so called feelings. So with that thought in mind Kai sat up, and went after the retreating blader. He'd come here for a relaxing rest on the grass and now his peace had shattered. It got under his skin, this confession. The whole scenario was obvious, if only he had noticed sooner, if only Brooklyn had said something then maybe . . . Then maybe what? The very question he posed himself cause him to snarl under his breath. What was he going to do when he managed to gain Brooklyn's attention?

"You change from shy to bold so easily why should I think your feelings any different?" Kai called out to Brooklyn, who looked like he thought he was in the clear. The surprise on his face was replaced with a concerned look, one of deep thought and worry.

"Emotions aren't static. I just react to when you treat me so callously."

"Callous," Kai smirked. He had been called callous well before people called him cold or 'harsh'. His BeyShark days didn't do much for his compassion, "hurry up and forget me then," he muttered again. Never did he understand people who would not try to change circumstance but would whine about its lack of fairness. Weakness was not a trait Kai looked for or wished to be near and Brooklyn had done nothing but highlight his weaknesses from the first day he'd got here.

"I refuse," Brooklyn's pointed answer caught Kai off guard to say it lightly. In his mind Brooklyn was impressionable and meek enough to talk out of his emotions, which had somehow built into a twisted confession - which Kai now realised hadn't truthfully happened. Kai had guessed and Brooklyn had merely assumed he knew. What a mess. What a joke. And then Kai's assumption changed. This was the prank. This was what Tyson and Brooklyn had planned since his arrival.

A scolding pain tightened in his chest, humiliation did not sit well with him and his expression changed. He approached him, grabbed Brooklyn by the front of his white coat and shoved him roughly against one of the near-by trees. He ignored the yelp of surprise and pain from Brooklyn who now began to resemble a very intimidated, stuttering fool. "Don't joke with me, Brooklyn." Kai spoke his words like acid, hoping for Brooklyn to back down on his little game.

Brooklyn shrank away, eyes wide and face bright with colour. "So, this your answer?" And with the nerves of those words, Brooklyn started to ramble to the point where Kai gripped the fist of Brooklyn's clothes tighter. Brooklyn was a better actor than he had given him credit for.

"Shut up, Brooklyn." But he did not. He continued rambling and muttering, raging and stumbling over his words. How he was sorry, how this wasn't a game, how it wasn't his fault and in fact Kai wasn't helping. That Kai was guilty of not taking him seriously, that he was too intimidating to speak with - and still he went on. And on. Kai watched him, somewhat fascinated with how hushed words changed to confident boasts and back again. Not many people continued to talk with so much fluidity when Kai Hiwatari had them pinned, looking furious beyond words.

And still he went on.

"I'm not kidding: why would you think that?" Kai blinked as Brooklyn sounded insulted. He hadn't seen such a determined expression on another person before - other than when beyblading of course. "I'm not someone you can just - just laugh at. How many times would you like to hear it?" Brooklyn finally raised his head and met Kai's eye, as much as the tint of red on his face was still there, it was less prominent. He was . . . Brooklyn was practically glaring at Kai after his voice reached new heights and Kai couldn't think quick enough as he was pulled forward.

Brooklyn was kissing him. And it lasted only a second before it stopped and another comment was uttered, "I'm in love with you. Hurry up and notice." When Kai realised how close - that being only a millimeter or two - they were from one another, Brooklyn's back reconnected with the tree with much more force than it had initially, his arms fallen to his sides. Kai made sure he kept his emotions from seeping into any part of him even if his heartbeat could be heard in his ears.

He was analysing again, watching every movement. Brooklyn was not bold and easily read like G-Rev nor was he cold, like the Blitzkrieg Boys nor was he like anyone who Kai could compare him to. A genius and a loner - albeit a forced one from what Brooklyn had opened up to. So, how did Kai react to this? His face was burning, his lips tingling, and his mind boggled for any logical reason as to why he wasn't as angry as beforehand.

"Whatever." If Brooklyn and Tyson were trying to mess with his head, they'd succeeded, if Brooklyn was playing a game, although evidence such as- Fuck it. The bunched clothes which had been held by Kai's fist was released slowly and snaked around to grab hold of a tuff of Brooklyn's hair. And if Brooklyn thought he'd get away with such a chase kiss then Kai was happy to disappoint. A squeak of surprise or joy Kai wasn't certain but Brooklyn didn't take a second more to become more animated, grasping and pulling Kai closer once again.

Kai didn't know what was going to happen after this, he was barely thinking. All Kai was sure of is when he got back to the dojo, he and Tyson would have a chat. He can stop hanging onto Brooklyn every second for a start.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So, I've found out that writing on a laptop rather than my desktop means I'm more productive. (Mainly because, the laptop couldn't load a blank webpage even if it tried). Hope you enjoyed this. First one-shot ever... Hopefully the last seeing as they are insanely difficult to write, without being OOC or too long. Open-ended ending, leaning towards Kai/Brooklyn actually getting together.

|: Do lemme know if there are any typos though. I'mma serious.

Thank you for reading, if you have enough time do review - if not - later. ^o^


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